Approved classes of workers
Employers may request entry approval for these approved classes of critical workers.
Use our online system to apply for selected visas or check visa details. Get help to use our online services.
We have enhanced Immigration Online. You can still access applications, documents or eVisas in the old system.
How to bring workers to New Zealand if you are an employer, including 'other critical workers'.
Employers and supporting agencies can request to bring workers into New Zealand if they are deemed ‘other critical workers’. Employers are still expected to genuinely seek to fill job vacancies with New Zealanders.
Requests for approval of critical workers must be made by employers, not individual workers.
Requests for critical workers are considered on a case-by-case basis by Immigration New Zealand officials.
There are 3 categories, each with their own criteria, where you can bring employees into New Zealand:
Holding an Essential Skills work visa is not enough to qualify as an ‘other critical worker’.
Employers, supporting agencies or immigration professionals who want to request for a critical worker to travel to New Zealand can apply by completing the Employer request for critical worker exception form.
Applications for seasonal workers will generally not be approved.
It costs NZD $380 to make a request for critical workers. You can include as many workers as you want on the same request. Partners and dependants of other critical workers may be included in the request. If workers are eligible to bring partners and dependant children they should be included in the request.
Requests are generally processed within 2 weeks.
Apply by completing Employer request for critical worker exception form
If you employ a worker in New Zealand who holds a temporary visa you cannot make an application to reunite their partner or dependent children under the family reunification exception for highly-skilled workers. The worker’s partner or dependent child must apply themselves.
A worker needed in New Zealand for a short term role (less than 6 months in total) is considered an ‘other critical worker’ if:
‘Time critical’ means if the person does not come to New Zealand the project, work or event will stop or be severely compromised, or significant costs will be incurred.
‘Unique experience and technical or specialist skills not readily obtainable in New Zealand’ can include, but is not limited to, skills and experiences such as expertise gained in a specialist training institution or by working in a highly-specialist firm, or can be shown by having global experience, or skills and experiences inherent to a person.
Skills are considered not readily obtainable if there are no workers in New Zealand who can do the role, or there is a limited pool of available workers who can do the role and they are not available to the employer.
Applications for seasonal workers will generally not be approved. The only exceptions will be if the work is highly skilled or uniquely specialised. This may include:
A worker needed in New Zealand for the long term (six months or longer) is considered an ‘other critical worker’ if they:
Events, projects and programmes approved for other critical workers
If you are seeking the support of the Science Innovation and International Branch of MBIE, you need to provide as much information as you can about the role and why it is critical, including:
A worker coming to New Zealand may be considered an ‘other critical worker’ if they:
The relevant government agency or industry group will assess whether the worker meets the requirements of the class, before the worker can be nominated. For example, the worker may be required to have work experience or specific qualifications.
We do not make nominations nor accept requests to be nominated. You must first engage with the relevant government agency or industry group before submitting a request.
Immigration New Zealand will review the request and provide advice to their senior officials before a decision is made.
Most requests for other critical workers are decided within 2 weeks from submission.
Immigration New Zealand will contact workers whose employers receive approval for an exception to the border restrictions as ‘other critical workers,’ and invite them to apply for a Critical Purpose Visitor Visa or a Critical Purpose Variation of Conditions to allow them to travel to New Zealand. We will email them information about how to make their application online.
Workers who are invited to apply for a visa will need to pay the immigration fee and levies (if applicable) as part of their application.
Approval does not guarantee visas will be granted to your workers. Applicants must still submit an application, pay the application fee and any levies, and demonstrate they meet all criteria to be given a Visa or a Variation of Conditions.
Check the COVID-19 testing and self-isolation requirements, as well as entry restrictions for the maritime sector:
Maritime sector | Ministry of Health
New Zealand citizens and permanent residents do not need approval from Immigration New Zealand to enter.
Foreign crew on the following types of ships can enter New Zealand without getting approval from Immigration New Zealand:
Foreign crew on the following types of ships will need approval from Immigration New Zealand to come here:
Ships seeking to travel to New Zealand for pleasure are not permitted to travel.
Ship owners, authorised agents and employers of crew can submit an approval request (INZ 1350) for foreign crew to travel to New Zealand on approved ships.
Crew must:
Include with the travel approval requests for all foreign crew members:
Requests from individual crew members will not be considered.
Approved crew members will be invited to apply for a visa or variation of visa conditions to allow them to travel to New Zealand.
RSE workers from the Pacific will be allowed to enter New Zealand to support the horticulture and viticulture industries if they meet the requirements for a border exception. They must be:
If workers are coming from Samoa, Tonga, or Vanuatu they may be able to travel quarantine-free.
Travelling from Samoa, Tokelau, Tonga, and Vanuatu
Individual workers need to meet immigration requirements to be granted a visa. All RSE workers must be paid at least $22.10 per hour and for a minimum of 30 hours per week. Employers must pay workers for time spent in isolation and flight deductions for charter flights must not be more than would be charged for a commercial option.
Recognised Seasonal Employer Limited Visa
Only employers with an ATR are able to employ RSE workers. The ATR requires employers to show they have taken all reasonable steps to train and employ New Zealanders before seeking a migrant worker. The Ministry of Social Development is consulted in this process.
Employers may request entry approval for these approved classes of critical workers.
Employers who need specific employees to work on these events, projects or programmes can ask for border exemptions for the employees based on them being ‘other critical workers’.